Electric motorcycle breaks 200 mph barrier

December 10, 2013 | 14:37

Electric motorcycle breaks 200 mph barrier

Paul Thede, owner/President of Race Tech Suspension can claim he is the fastest man in the world on an electric motorcycle after cresting the 200 mph mark when he set a new Land Speed Record of 206.080mph. Paul Thede crushed his previous record of 176.321 mph that he set in 2010 at the ...

Paul Thede, owner/President of Race Tech Suspension can claim he is the fastest man in the world on an electric motorcycle after cresting the 200 mph mark when he set a new Land Speed Record of 206.080mph. Paul Thede crushed his previous record of 176.321 mph that he set in 2010 at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

Thede teamed up with Richard Hatfield from Lightning Motorcycles to accomplish this feat. “Breaking the 200 mph barrier on an electric-powered motorcycle is so special because it isn’t just another record; it’s a step towards furthering ‘green’ technology around the world,” Thede stated. He goes on to say, “It’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when. If you swung a leg over and opened her up, you’d become a believer too!”

Thede is no stranger to motorcycles. He is a former pro motocross racer, Pikes Peak Hill climb winner, and has set numerous land speed records at Bonneville.

Hatfield brought his extensive experience with electric motors to the table and built an incredible motorcycle able to exceed 200 mph. It is his mission to “push electric-motorcycle technology to parity with gas-powered motorcycles.” While accomplishing this goal he still has some work to do; capping 200 mph is certainly a major check-point along the way.

After asking Thede if topping 200 mph this year means that 220 mph will become the goal for next year, he simply replied, “We’ll see what this year brings.” Something tells me he and Richard Hatfield have a bigger plan, and whatever it is, will check another box in electric-powered motorcycle technology.

UPDATE: After setting a record earlier in the week, Thede and Hatfield went back to work on the gearing and body work of the Lightning Motorcycle. Thede made two additional runs to push the World Record to an astonishing 215.960 mph, with a top speed of over 218 mph! Thede and Hatfield are still looking for more.